Apparatus for the separation of mixed gases



F. E. NORTON-- APPARAT US FOR THE SEPARATION OF MIXED GASES. APPLICATION FILED JAN" 28. 1 918. RENEWED JULY I4. I920.

354,059. Patentedsept. 28,1920.

rnueni'ov @{ffa-cney UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

FRED E. NORTON, or wORcnsTnR; MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR 'TO JErr Rms-NORTON CORPORATION, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE,

Original application filed October 20, 1915, Serial No. 56,987. Divided 28, 1918, Serial NO. 214,051. Renewed July 14, 1920. Serial T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED E. NORTON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Separation of Mixed Gases, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawing, is a specification.

The present invention is a division of my copending allowed application covering a process of separating mlxed gases Serial No. 56,987, filed October 20, 1915.

The present invention, in common with that of my aforesaid copending application, relates in general to the art of separating mixed gases, such as air or water gas, into their constituent elements, and has particular reference to systems of this class which contemplate a partial separation of the'components of the gas by liquefaction, and a complete separation by the progressive reevaporation of the condensate, accompanied by rectification.

The present invention contemplates the attainment of marked improvements in efliciency and capacity over distillation systems using the processes heretofore known; and in particular, the attainment. of substantially absolute purity of the products of distillation ultimately drawn off, a result impossible of achievement in previously known systems, owing to inherent obstacles encountered in the practice of the same.

The principles of the invention, and the various steps employed in the application of said principles to the accomplishment'of the desired results, are fully set forth in the following description, and in the annexed claims, reference being'had to the accom panying drawing, in which the figure is a diagrammatic illustration of one arrangement of apparatus for carrying out the invention.

It is to be understood, however, that the practice of my invention is not confined to the employment of the herein described, or

any other particular arrangement of apparatus, nor to the herein described methods of utilizing such apparatus, except in so far as specified in the appended claims; the drawing being merely illustrative, and the description being confined, for the sake of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28 1920.

and this application filed mum to a single special scope of the aforeand is used to rectify the products of evaporation from the aforesaid liquid mixture which contains a high percentage of the less volatile element. In general, the utilization of these two liquefied portions of the mixture in a rectifying column or still involves progressive contact between the ascending vapors from the mixed liquid which is rich in the less volatile element, and the descending liquid which is rich in the more volatile element, causing the descending liquid to exchange with the ascending vapors; whereby the liquid becomes richer in the less volatile element and the vapor becomes richer in the more volatile element, and progressively loses the less volatile component.

It is essential to systems operating on the above principle that the entire supply of the mixed gas be condensed; moreover, the external cooling agency, which in one form or another, is an essential element of all liquefaction systems, is called upon to extract large quantities of heat from a portion of the mixture, (namely that portion showing a high percentage of the more volatile element) at a temperature almost as low as the condensing point of the more volatile element, in order to liquefy the same. Energy, in the form of heat, must be supplied to the liquefied portion containing a high percentage of the less volatile element in order to the; less volatile element, under the pressure 7 conditions prevailing in the still.

Itis characteristic of such prior systems that the pressures on thedescending liquid and ascending vapors in the still are equal; it is essential, moreover, that the tempera-- ture at the top of the rectifying column where the more volatile element is delivered, be maintained almost exactly at the extremely low boiling point of the more volatile element under the low pressure at which rectification is carried out; if much higher, vaporization of the less volatile element will ensue at this point.

Almost exclusively, in such prior systems,

the liquefaction of the mixture takes place under high pressure, and the rectification takes place.after the pressure prevailing upon both portions of the liquefied mixture has been released. This release of pressure results in the reevaporation of considerable amounts of both portions-of the liquid and,

therefore, imposes a serious limitation on the amount of gas capable of being handled by any given apparatus. This reevaporation also diminishes the purity. of the prodyet, since at the top of the rectifying col- 'umn the outgoing more volatile element cannot be drawn off without also taking with it some of the mixed evaporate produced by the release of pressure upon the liquid used for rectification.

According to the present invention, the inherent defects and difficulties above enumerated are overcome, by the utilization, in part, of the general principles involved in a pnocess of separating mixed gases set forth.

and described in mycopending application Serial No. 48,325, filed August 31, 1915. The present system, in common with the system described in the aforesaid copending application, No. 48,325, contemplates the liquefaction of the mixed gas under rela tively low pressure, and the distillation thereof under high pressure, thereby differing essentially from all prior processes. The present system differs from that described in the aforesaid copending application in that the rectification is performed by discharging the high pressure liquid at an intermediate point in the still, whence it deexternal cooling agency ordinarily emplo ed.

ith reference to the application of these princi leg to the attainment of the'objects herein efore' mentioned, the diagrammatic illustration of one arrangement of apparatus for carrying out the invention, as shown in the figure, together with the several steps constituting the process of said invention, will now be described.

Referring, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing, the mixedgas dealt with in the system, under relatively low compression, enters a passage 1 of a heat in terchanger, designated as, a whole by the numeral 2. By .the action of said interchanger, in conjunction with a refrigerating engine 3 through which a portion of the gas in passage 1 may be drawn, a quantity of the mixed gas, in a liquid state, collects at 4 in the lower end of passage 1, as fully set'forth in the process described in my co- Rinding application Serial No. 11,850, filed arch 3, 1915.

Obviously, the gas used in the refrigerating engine 3, or other external cooling agency, may, if desired, be drawn from the passage 9, hereinafter referred to, of the heat interchanger, or the refrigerating engine may be contained in a wholly independent circuit. It will be clear that the liquid condensed at 4 will have a composition much higher in the less volatile element than the original mixture, and consequently a higher boiling point, pressure conditions being equal. It follows that the gas remaining uncondensed in passage 1 will 'have a higher percentage of the more volatile element than the original mixture and a boiling point above the boiling point of said more volatile element, but below the boiling point of the original mixture.

If desired, another portion of this vapor residue, rich in the more volatile element of the mixed gas, may be withdrawn from the passage 1 into a coil 5 located within the cold end of another passage 6 of the interchanger, the flow of vapor through said coil being controlled by a valve 7; in coil 5 the said gas -undergoes intense. cooling by the action of the cold-gases exhausted by the refrigerating engine 3, which are returned through said passage 6. The said gas in coil 5 is led into admixture at 7' with the liquid, rich in the less volatile element, condensed at 4, being drawn through said coil by the suction of a pump 8 acting on said liquid. This liquid has undergone sub-cooling by heat exchange with the cold exhaust gases from engine 3 in the passage 6, and attains a temperature approximately as low as the boiling point of a liquid rich in the more volatile element. Hence the resulting mixture handled by the pump reaches a composition much higher in the more volaincrease in pressure by the reaching tile element than the mixture originally condensed at 4, for the reason that from the bubbles of vapor residue risin through the cold liquid from the point 7' t s more volatile element will be condensed, said bubbles the surface in the form of a vapor ric in the less volatile element and ence more easily condensed in the paseagle 1. i

he mixture formed at the point, 7', as above described, undergoes a considerable pump ,8, which forces it into a third passage 9 o the interchanger, wherein such higher pressure is maintained, in any suitable manner, as by imposing a resistance against the outflow of vapor from said passage. The pressure prevailing in the passage 9 is obviously due to the resistance imposed against the outflow of vapor from the upper end of said passa e; in forcin liquid into the bottom of t is passage the pump 8 must put it under sufcient pressure to overcome the pressure prevailing therein, which, as above stated, is

higher than the passage 1.

The high pressure liquid mixture enters the passage 9 by means of a pipe or other equivalent device 10, which provldes' an outlet 11 for the liquid intermediate the ends of said passage at a level where the temperature within the interchanger corresponds pressure prevailing in the approximately to the boiling point of the discharging llquid under the prevailing in-.

creased pressure. Or, if desired, the llquid in the pipe 10 may be diverted from the outlet 11 by means of a valve 12, and caused to pass through a coil 13 above the same,

before discharging into the passage 9 at substantially the same level as said outlet.

In any case, the liquid, whether it be discharged from the c011 13 or from the outlet 11, flows downwardly in the passage 9, in contact with the exterior surface of a coil 14 therein, and collects at the lower end of said passage, as shown in the figure.

The coil 14, which is partially submerged in the accumulated liquid in passage 9, constitutes part of a circulatory system for transferring the latent heat of condensation, extracted from the low pressure fluid in passage 1, in order to liquefy the same, to the high pressure liquid collected in the lower end of passage 9, in order to evaporate this liquid, according to the method set forth and described in my copendin application, Serial No. 11,850, filed Marc 3, 1915.

In the present instance an, independent fluid havinga boiling point at the same or a lower temperature than the fluid to be condensed at the level 4, is forced into the lower submerged end of the coil 14 from a compressor 15 and passes from the upper end of said coil through an expanding nozin passage 9.

zle 16, where its pressure is released. Thence the fluid circulates through a coil 17, im-

to the hereinafter set forth, and is very cold' in' passing through coil 17 it condenses the uid at the level 4 by extracting the latent heat of condensationtherefrom and may be itself only partly evaporated in so doing. This resulting mixture of liquid and vapor from coil 17 passing to the compressor 15 has its pressure and temperature raised by said compressor. Passing thence in substantially gaseous form to' the coil 14, it effects the evaporation of liquid'at the surface in passage 9, by transfer of its heat thereto, and is itself condensed thereby, in whole or in part. The subsequent re ease of pressure on said circulating fluid in the nozzle 16, accompanied by cooling, causes its return to the 0011 17 the condensation at the surface 4, in the manner above described. The absorption and rejection of latent heat by the fluid used in theprocess and the independent'circulating fluid, as described above, takes place under substantially constant tem rature conditions and hence with the'highest possible efliciency.

' In the form of apparatus herein shown, it is necessary to provide suitable insulation 18, to preyent any heat interchange'between the cold low pressure liquid in passage 1 and the high'pressure' liquid in assage 9, which latter, as previously stated is maintained at a relatively high temperature, i. e., substantially that of the superheated high pressure circulating fluid in the coil '14. nsulation 19 must likewise be provided for the pipe 10, in order to prevent its subcooled contents from absorbing heat from the surrounding coil 14 and the liquid t will be understood, with reference tothe apparatus described above, for transferring the latent heat of condensation of the low pressure fluid to the high pressure liquid in passage 9, that. my invention is not limited to the employment of the above described or any other form of apparatus for accomplishing this result.

' Furthermore, it is clear that the fluid. used scribed may be operated, without deviation from the principles of the invention, by cirin condition to repeat.

occupying the lower culating a portion of the va or residue in passage 1 through the system constituted by the coils 14 and 17, compressor 15 and'ex- 'panding nozzle 16. To thisend coil 17 may have a valved inlet 20 for the entrance 'of said vapor, whichi after compression, may

be dischar (1 into t ie passage 9, thrpugha valved out et 21, located at a level 1n sa1d passage where the percentage composition of the vapor therein corresponds to the percentage composition of said circulating vapor residue.

' the heat given up by the gas in the adjacent passage 1 of the interchanger, and also to the superheat of the high pressure transfer fluid within the coil 14. The consequent cooling ofthis transfer fluid by causing it to pass to the nozzle 16 as all liquid or nearly so, has previously been pointed out, and it will be clear that the contact of the descending cold liquid from pipe 10 with the unsubmerged portion of the coil 14 assists the operation of the latent heat transfer apparatus by extracting heat from the ,fiuid in coil 14. As the descending liquid in passage 9 is warmed, its more volatile component, nitrogen, is gradually evaporated, and the liquid reaches the lower end of passage 9 as practically pure oxygen, and, of course, ata temperature approximately that of the boiling point of oxygen 'under the high pressure prevailing in this passage. The circulating fluid from the compressor 15, which is superheated at this stage in its cycle, is relied upon to furnish sufiicient heat through the coil 14 to boil the rich oxygen liquid in the bottom of passage 9; in this manner, the superheat of the circulating fluid is largely absorbed, leaving only a very small part of the superheat of compression to be removed by the exhaust from the refrigerating engme 3, or its equivalent.

As the rich oxygen liquid in passage 9 boils, it gives off whatever nitrogen is contained therein in vapor form, which rises past the unsubmerged part-of coil 14; any

oxygen vaporized at the same time-is taken up by the liquid descending on the surface of said coil, replacing the nitrogen which said liquid gives off as it is warmed up during its descent. Consequently any vapor rising above the point of discharge 11 into the passage 9 must be substantially pure nitrogen, and the liquid in the bottom of said passage becomes, by boiling, pure'oxygen. The presence of the subcooled coil 13 above the point of liquid discharge, when the 'liquid is diverted through this coil, in-

arts oxygen, the less volatile elestituted by approximately 93 parts nitrogen and 7 parts oxygen. The rise of this vapor past the coil 13 results in the complete removal of the small oxygen content thereof by condensation of a portion of the vapor on the surface of the coil, since the liquid in the upper end of the coil is at a very low temperature due to the subcooling effect of the exhaust gases from the expansion engine 3 in the passage 6, before the increase 1n pressure on said liquid. For example the liquid in passage 1 under atmospheric pressure may be thus subcooled to a temperateure as low as 80 centigrade absolute; the pressure in the passage 9 may be twenty atmospheres, so that nitrogen, having a boiling point of approximately 117 centigrade absolute under 20 atmospheres pressure, as well as any trace of oxygen in the rising vapor would be condensed at the top of coil 13, within which a tem erature of 80 centigrade absolute prevails. Obviously, the exhaust from the expansion engine 3 may be utilized to maintain as low a temperature as desired at the top of coil 13, in order to insure the complete purification of the escaping nitrogen vapor; the condensation at this point of nitrogen, which flows down the surface of the, coil, completely removes the last traces of oxygen from the escaping vapor. On the other hand, in all previous distillation systems, the lowest temperature available at the point of final rectification of the/more volatile component of the mixture, 5. e., the temperature attained by the expansion of the condensed residue of initial condensation of the mixture, is still substantially higher than the boiling point, under released pressure, of said more volatile component.

Coincident with the production of pure nitrogen vapor at the top of the still, pure oxygen is formed at the other end of pas-. sage 9, by the distillation of the high pressired, the pressure on the oxygen vapor may be relieved, by a valve 23, before its use in the counter current apparatus.

With respe.t to the advantages incident to the employment of the above described system, over previously known systems, it will be clear that greater purity of the separated components of a mixed gas will be obtained, the greater the difference between the boiling temperatures of the more volatile and the less volatile elements. For example, in the separation of air by previously known systems, occurring at atmospheric pressure, the boiling point of oxygen is 90 centigrade absolute while the boiling point of nitrogen is 77.5 centigrade absolute, giving a difference of but 12.5". But by the present system, under a pressure of 20 atmospheres in the still, there is a difference of 165 between the boiling point of nitrogen and the boiling point of oxygen, under such higher pressure. It is to be understood thatthe invention, as herein described, does not of necessity entail either the complete or the absolute liquefaction of the mixed gaseous fluid which is being separated, and that the terms liquefaction, liquid and liquefied, as used herein and in the appended claims, apply as well to a condition of the fluid where in density and temperature it substantially approaches the liquid state. In such a condition, said fluid, as will be clearly understood, is susceptible to a pressure increase by the expenditure of an almost negligible amount of power. The same, of course, holds true with respect to the changes in state undergone by the circulating latent heat transfer fluid which, corresponding substantially in density and in coldness to the fluid undergoing separation, is compressed by the expenditure of an amount of work which is exceedingly small in comparison to the work of cooling that would otherwise have to be expended in the external cooling agency to remove the latent heat.

In the application of the new principles underlying the present system, which differ radically and essentially from the principles underlying previous processes of this class, it is to be understood that my invention is in no sense limited to equivalents of the apparatus here shown, said showing being wholly diagrammatic and illustrative, and

adopted solely for the purpose of simplifying the explanation of sand broadly new principles.

I claim,

1. A system for the separation of mixed.

gases by progressive liquefaction and rectification, comprising areverse flow lnterchanger providing a rectifying column, means for maintaining a pressure 1n said column higher than the pressure at which liquefaction of the gas takes place, and means for transferring latent heat from the fluid undergoing 1i uefaotion; to the high pressure fluid in sai rectifying column.

2. A system for-the separation of mixed lgases by progressive liquefaction and rectication, comprising a reverse flow interchanger providing a rectifying column, means for maintaining a pressure in said column higher than the pressure at which liquefaction of the gas takes place, and means for transferring latent heat from the fluid undergoing liquefaction to the high pressure fluid in said rectifying column, comprising a compressor and an expander for circulating a fluid in heat exchanging relation to the said two portions of the gas being separated.

system for the separation of mixed gases by progressive liquefaction and rectification, comprising a reverse flow interchanger providing -a rectifying column, means for maintaining a pressure in said column higher than the pressure at which liquefaction of the gas takes place, a coil in said rectifying column for the circulation of a fluid which carries the latent heat of condensation of the gas undergoing liquefaction, and means for discharging the high pressure liquefied fluid into said column above said coil.

4. A system for the separation of mixed gases by progressive liquefaction and rectification, comprising a reverse flow interchanger providing a rectifying column, means for maintaining a pressure in said column higher than the pressure at which liquefaction of the gas takes place, a coil in said rectifying column for the circulation of a fluid which carries the latent heat of condensation of the gas undergoing liquefaction, means for discharging the high pressure liquefied fluid into said column above said coil, and a second coil in said coil above the point of discharge of the liquefied fluid, for the circulation thereof before discharge.

5. In apparatus for the separation of a mixed gaseous fluid, the combination with a rectifying column, of means for evaporating a. liquefied portion of said fluid therein, and means for procuring contact of said evaporate with the liquefied fluid, without release of pressure on the latter.

6. In apparatus of the class described. means for evaporating a liquefied mixed gaseous fluid, and means for discharging another portion of said liquefied fluid, without release of pressure, into contact with the products of evaporation, to rectify the latter. 1

* 7. Inapparatus of the class described, means for extracting latent heat from a mixed gaseous fluid undergoing liquefacrectify the latter.

rate the same, and means for rectifying the I products of evaporation by contact ,with

the liquefied portion about to undergo evaporation.

8. In apparatus'of the class described, means for extracting latent heat from a mixed gaseous fluid under oing liquefaction, means for adding sai latent heat to the liquefied portion of the fluid, to evapo-' rate the same, and means for discharging another portion of said liquefied fluid into contact with the products of evaporation. to rectify the latter.

9. n apparatus of the class described, means for progressively liquefying a mixed gaseous fluid, means for raising the pressure of the liquefied portion, means for transferring latent heat from the fluid undergoing liquefaction to said liquefied portion, to evaporate the latter, and means for rectifying the products of evaporation under such increased pressure by contact with the liquefied portion about to undergo evaporation.

10. In apparatus of the class described, means for progressively liquefying a mixed gaseous fluid, means for raising the pressure of the liquefied portion, means for transferring latent heat from the fluid undergoing liquefaction to said liquefied portion, I

to evaporate the latter, and means for discharging another portion of said liquefied fluid, under said increased pressure into contact with the products of evaporation, to

11. In apparatus of the class described, means for progressively liquefying a mixed gaseous fluid, means for adding the vaporresidue of progressive liquefaction thereto,

means for increasing the pressure on the resulting liquid portion, means for transferring latent heat from the fluid undergoing liquefaction to said resulting liquid portion, to evaporate the latter, and means for rectifying the products of evaporation under such increased pressure by contact with the liquid portion about to undergo evaporation.

12. In apparatus of the class described, means for progressively liquefying a mixed aseous fluid, means for chilling the liquefled portion, means for raising the pressure of the liquefied portion, means for transferring latent heat from the fluid undergoing liquefaction to said liquefied portion, to evaporate the latter, and means for rectifying the products of evaporation under such increased pressure by contact With the liquefied portion about to undergo evaporation.

I 13. In apparatus of the class described,

means for rogressively li uefying a mixed aseous fluid, means for c illing the liqueed portion, means for adding the vapor residue of progressive liquefaction thereto,

7 means for increasing the pressure on the resulting liquid portion, means for transferring latent heat from the fluid undergoing liquefaction to said resulting liquid portion to evaporate the latter, and means for rectifying the products of evaporation under such increased pressure by contact with the liquid portion about to undergo evaporation.

14. In apparatus for the se aration of a mixed aseous fluid, a recti ying column, means or passing a mixed vapor, under pressure, through said column, and means for discharging a fluid into said vapor having a temperature lower than the boiling point of the more volatile component of said mixed vapor, under the pressure prevailing in said column.

15. In apparatus for the separation of a mixed aseous fluid, a rectifying column, means or pumpin the fluid to be separated, While in the llquid state, into said column, and means for transferring latent heat from the fluid undergoing liquefaction to the liquid in said column, to evaporate the same.

16. In apparatus for the separation of a mixed gaseous fluid, means for progressively liquefylng said fluid, means for circulating a portion of the vapor residue of progressive liquefaction in heat exchanging relation to said liquefied portion, to evaporate the same, and means for rectifying said evaporate.

17. In apparatus for the separation of a mixed gaseous fluid, means for progressively liquefying said fluid, means for circulating a portion of the vapor residue of progressive liquefaction in heat exchanging relation to said liquefied portion, to evaporate the same, and means for discharging said circulating fluid into contact With the evaporate from said liquefied portion.

.18. In apparatus of the class described, means for'liquefying a mixed gaseous fluid, means for evaporating the liquefied fluid by addition of latent heat extracted from the fluid undergoing liquefaction, and means for rectifying and separating said evaporate Without release of pressure thereon.

Dated this 22nd day of January, 1918.

, FRED E. NOR-TON. 

